Stephan is the owner of Fly Cape Town Paragliding. He is an avid tandem, competition and aerobatics paragliding pilot He loves to share the joy of paragliding flight with anyone who is keen...He is also a qualified paragliding instructor and a paragliding endurance athlete.

Fear is a powerful force that can stop us from pursuing some of our dreams and goals. The English dictionary defines fear as “an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous.” This tells us that what we fear may not always be real, but it is just a belief in our minds triggered by a certain emotion. When challenged by any form of fear we only have one of two decisions to make, and that is, we either get the courage to face that fear and overcome it; or we can give in to it and allow that fear to defeat us.

Most people never find the courage to face their fears, and the problem is that if you don’t overcome those fears, you will probably never rise above them. Overcoming fear is a skill that anyone can tap into. Here are some ways in which to deal with fear, including your fear of paragliding.

1) Have positive thoughts

Every battle takes place and is won in the mind. It’s important to think about a positive outcome to your fear. If you’re thinking about your first paragliding flight for instance, imagine yourself being very successful instead of failing on your flight. Whenever fear strikes, flush it out of your mind with positive thoughts about the outcome.

2) Just do it

Someone who is brave enough to take on something bigger than them does not mean that at that moment no fear grips their heart; it just means they have made a decision to tackle that fear. Once you have pictured yourself paragliding successfully, the next step is to just do it! Instead of thinking several times about the matter – just do it, take that flight. Now may be the right time to take that paragliding flight you’ve been putting off.

3) Find inspiration

Finding someone who struggled with the fear you have, but managed to rise above it can motivate you tremendously. Get in touch with the person who inspires you if you can, and find out how they overcame that fear. You can also read books on the subject, and see what wonders it will do for you.

4) Learn to control your breathing

Not only is this one of the easiest mechanics, but it is also one of the simplest and most powerful ways to overcome fear. Through breathing, you are able to calm the panic that rises inside of you when fear kicks in, and in doing so, it can set you free from the grip of fear. Learn to take control of your breathing.

5) See yourself victorious

This one might be similar to the first point, but that’s because they work together. And we saved it for last because it’s also one of the most powerful mind exercises. The thoughts you allow to fill your heart and mind are what you become. It’s important to see yourself overcoming your fear; if you don’t see the victory in your mind first, you may never see it in reality.